Can't Believe it's Been 1 Year

This Sunday it's been one year since I told my best friend that I'd stick by his side til the day he dies.

Happy 1st Anniversary Bub! 

We're taking Angie to the cabin for the weekend and I'm hoping to squeeze in a short hike at Hetch Hetchy. I promise a well thought out post next week!

Kels

Happy Birthday to my Braja

 Two weeks ago we celebrated my brother's 24th birthday. Whenever my brothers get older I feel older. My mom made him an awesome guitar cake. Angie was a hit as usual. Such an adorable face.

Happy Birthday Tom - We love you!

Kels

Angie Stone 1, 2 & 3

9/14

9/21

9/28

Kels

Ten Facts about Me (Whether you want to know or not)

I'm a board/card/trivia game addict and to lose is to die a little bit inside, in my opinion.

My wish for a perfect day would include rain outside, a fire inside, and me curled up with a good book. When I say curled up I mean hunched over the book sitting indian style because that's what I used to do as a kid when my dad would build a fire. Our house doesn't have a fireplace so... no go.

When I drink coffee I get hyper. Really hyper. Bouncing off the walls singing and dancing around the office hyper. I'm drinking coffee right now. Beware.

I'm both very prideful and very modest. I love to hear how awesome I am but on the outside I blush like I'm three drinks in. People should really stop complementing me anyway... my ego doesn't need any more of a boost.

I give my husband a hard time just about all the time, but I miss him terribly when he's not in my direct line of vision. I stare at a picture of him all day at work and when I get home I spend the whole night asking when he's going to stop watching TV and come to bed so I can please-sleep-now.

I think old people and children are the best. Somewhere in the middle we lose sight of what's important and for some reason the people on both ends of the spectrum just know how to do life right.

I can't lie. I've tried. Don't tell me anything you want to surprise someone with. If they ask me about it I will tell them through no fault of my own.

I'm a fashion-a-holic but I don't know how to dress myself.

I prefer homemade to store bought and less is almost always more.

Yes, I am addicted to Pinterest. http://pinterest.com/harbrcottage/

Kels

Being Married and Being a Parent (3 of 3)

Being a parent and trying to be happily married at the same time is like trying to rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time -- 99% of the time you're messing up somewhere, but that 1% of the time when everything is working out, you feel more accomplished than any sports trophy ever made you feel as a kid.

Being married is hard.

Having a child (or puppy in my case) is hard too!

For some reason conversations always focus on el bebe.. even the ones that you've been waiting all day to have, like the first conversation after you get off work or the last conversation before you walk into your three hour class at night. 

Case in point: Me - "Did I tell you what happened to Angie this morning?"

Ant - "No, what?"

Me - "She went outside to poop and I looked over and there was a cloud of steam rising from both her butt and the poop pile because it was so cold outside!"

Ant - "Whaaaaattt?!?! That is AWESOME!!!"

Me - "I know!!!"

See.. we're sick. At least we are aware of it.

I used to receive photos of sheds and such, but now I get photo messages from Anthony consisting of Angie, Angie and more Angie. It cracks me up.

I realize it's not just that we spend all of our waking moments with our dog now... it's school and work and poker nights and craft nights and baking nights and honestly just wanting to be alone sometimes... but being married never seems to get easier. Even if you've known someone for ten years and you're coming up on your first anniversary it never ceases to be a full time job.

If I am too neglectful Anthony feels down and if he is too neglectful I feel down. And we're never on the same page. Not to say we're not happy.. if you're married and reading this then I think you'll understand where I'm coning from.

So most of the time we just goof it up to keep ourselves entertained. It works for us.

Kels

Being a Mom (2 of 3)

Today I want to discuss what it means to be a mom in our house. It means that from the moment I wake up I am in mom mode and the questions start firing.. "Did she pee?" "Did she poop?" "Did she eat?" "Is her bed in the kitchen?" "Did you eat?" "Did you make your lunch?" "Did you take out the garbages"

... and this is about the time that Anthony is ripping his hair out wishing he never woke me from my peaceful slumber (well you should that thought of that before you threw a dog onto my head this morning).... so he leaves for work and then as a mom I get to take a break from all the nagging because I'm in charge and I know exactly what is happening and when.

Angie and I watch Boy Meets World every morning and then we take a short 30 minute nap. We follow our nap with a shower - well she stands outside the shower and waits for me to come out so she can lick my legs dry, it's gross - and then she trots around the house behind me while I make my lunch and get dressed and turn on the Spanish radio station for her (she's learning Spanish while we're at work) and then she sits right below me while I blow dry my hair. I think she knows that blow drying  = going to work because typically on the weekends I don't do my hair.

Being a mom means that you are never alone because even when you are alone someone is probably calling you for something or vice versa because there is always something to be done or to worry about.

I'm not complaining - just saying that being a mom is hard work and quite a bit of dedication.

But I'm pretty dedicated.

Kels

p.s. if you are hating all my puppy posts lately, sorry... It's just about all I've got going on besides school right now.

Being a Dad (1 of 3)

Anthony has been a dad for a couple of weeks now and I'll tell you what.. it's growing on him. I think this guy was born to be a dad. Now I'm not saying that we are planning on being parents anytime soon (we're not) because some people really aren't ready for raising a real live person yet. 

But moving on.. being a dad. Anthony is a pretty awesome dad. He takes her out to go the bathroom whenever I ask him to and he spends a solid hour with her every morning so I can sleep for just.one.more.minute.please!!! and I am very grateful for that part of my day. Plus... he sends me text messages like, "How are my three babies? (me, Axe and Ang) and I love those to death. 

If I'm really honest though... dads are dads for a whole other purpose. They are there to hold the cutie pie when she's tired so mom can get some crap done around the house because guess what?! Mom holds cutie pie the rest of the time WHILE she gets crap done around the house. Basically mom does it all - but dad gets to look cute doing it and people fawn over him and say, "Awww! How cute! What a good dad!" You get my point, right? Dads are usually lazy and/or good at not looking lazy even though they truly are. 

Around here Angie is Anthony's Raider buddy, beer buddy and his sit out on the grass and look white-trash buddy. It's grand. 

But she loves him, so I guess we'll be keeping him.

Kels

Picnic Day

Last week - or the week before - I don't exactly remember... we went on a little picnic with Robby and Silva to Lake Elizabeth. I FINALLY got to use my 25 cent picnic basket - which I love. It holds everything, including Scrabble.

Benny is one of Angie's best friends.

Kels

Mondays with Angie

Happy Monday!

Love, Angie (and her favorite fetch toy)

We'll be here every Monday with a little Angie action. Want to see another adorable pup? Head on over to Carrotspeak to see Brinks.

Kels

Angie Stone 1 & 2

Last Wednesday

Yesterday

You can't tell - but this chick has definitely grown in the one week that we've had her. She'll be celebrating her 12th week on this earth next Wednesday so in celebration we are going to go to a vaccination party at Bogie's. Nothing too fancy... maybe some dogs, a few cats... I hear there will be one special guest in a white coat with a syringe. Should be pretty exciting stuff!

On another note - I don't wear the same pajamas every night, but I did wear the same pair of sweats for this repeat post in the interest of continuity. At least you guys got fancy painted toes this time around.

Kels 

Funerals and Life

Last Friday we drove out to Napa to attend a funeral service for my dad's aunt Marjorie. I didn't know her very well because we didn't spend time with her family during the part of my life that I can actually remember... but she knew me as a wee babe. I met her a couple of months ago at our family reunion and I was shocked to find out that she looks pretty much exactly like my grandmother (although I will say, for the sake of my love of my grandma, that Gradma Marlette is more beautiful). [Aunt Marjorie - if you're reading this from Heaven I hope you understand. From what I've learned, you received a ton of love while you were here with us from your MASSIVE family so.. we're cool, right?]

Anyway... My grandma is one of six (I think) - she doesn't really have photos of her family in her house - just of all us grandkids and our aunts and uncles - and she is one of four girls. Marjorie, Marlette, Myrus and someone else who starts with an "M". I can't remember her name at the moment. I find it interesting that they were all named with the same first letter. I don't know..stuff like that entertains me I guess.

While we were there the parishioner (I don't know if that's what you call him - but whatever, good enough) gave us a couple pieces of advice. 

He said, "Life is not a dress rehearsal."

and

"Wherever you are, be all there."

Both are quotes from notable writers / figures and I'm sorry but you'll have to google those names on your own if you want to find out who they are.

I really took those pieces of advice to heart. I am not one to live in the moment - I'm always looking two steps ahead and often I'm told that I'm not truly listening. (Anthony) and he's right... most of the time.

And.. really, I need to get working on my bucket list. I can't keep spending time on the couch watching reruns. Although having a puppy who can't go outside yet is making that one difficult. I need to get in shape people! And from there I need to do things on that list.

Well, I've got off topic again...

Spending time with my grandma always reminds me of how much I can learn from her. From her past and her present... there is so much that she remembers and I struggle to keep track of all the things she says when she is talking because she tends to go a mile a minute. But you know what.. I know someone else like that. ME!

Here's my Papa D.O.

They always stick me in the front. I hate it. My brothers informed me that I looked like a slob that day and I didn't dress appropriately for a funeral. I informed them that I have gained fifteen pounds and I can't fit into my clothes. They asked if I was pregnant. My dad just laughed. Men don't understand.

Here's my Grandma Marlette

See! She's even talking here. Probably asking me.. "What are you doing Kelsey?"

Funerals always do this to me. So many thoughts at once - good thing I have a bunch of new journals from my brother man Eduardo. I might crack one of those babies open tonight. Who knows?

p.s. If you can avoid watching your grandmother cry - do so - it sucks.

Kels

Evidence of our sickness

As you all know we recently added miss Angie to our little family. I did not expect the love and attention from all sides that she is receiving. You'd think I birthed a child. Suddenly everyone is referred to as "mommy" "daddy" "auntie" "uncle" "grandma" and "grandpa" and of course, "cousin".

It is seriously cracking me up!

My mom went by our house today with her trusty spare key to check on Angie since Ant and I both are out of the house til pretty late tonight and she sent me this photo of my A Dog.

Apparently this text was sent to various people in the family with the attached verbage -

To my brother: "Hi Unky Eddie! Gramma just took me potty! Am I the cutest thing you ever did see or what? Can't wait to play with you again soon! Love, Angie or A Dawg!"

To my cousin: "Hi Cuz! Gramma just came by to take me potty! Am I the cutest thing you ever did see? Gotta go now. This grass is yummy! Love, Angie."

I don't know about you guys - I'm just shocked that Angie already learned how to text.

You crack me up mom...

Kels

Golf and Go Karts

We recently decided to spend the day at Boomers in Livermore. For those of you who don't know - this place is kind of pricey. So we printed a crap ton of coupons and basically went for FREE!!

The downside is that in 90 degree weather you really want to wear sandals but the tyrants who run the park won't allow you to ride the go karts if you don't have "proper attire" and they WILL announce to the entire park that "the ladies in line" need to get out of said line. Well whatever... we got our $8 back.

Kels

Mondays with Angie

Happy Monday!

Love, Angie

We'll be here every Monday with a little Angie action. Want to see another adorable pup? Head on over to Carrotspeak to see Brinks.

Kels

Happy Homework Sunday

Ways that I keep myself entertained while I diligently do my homework

 Take my notes on my I <3 JIM notepad (thank you Sarah)

 Drink tea and feel fancy like I'm in a Jane Austen novel

 Make lists of the homework I need to do. That way when I cross things off I get to do a little dance around the room. Angie told me that she thinks I'm a great dancer.

Blog

Catch up on my Incubus music - gearing up for the show next month.

I hope that if any of you are doing homework that you also find little ways to keep yourself from coming up with suicide scenarios. Happy Sunday!

Kels